MINNESOTA CITY TRIAL STATION. 65 



In my opinion, plum orchards will prove a paying investment in 

 this latitude, more so than growing- apples. On account of the 

 much better market for the fruit, I set out in orchard this fall for my 

 own fruiting some eight hundred plum trees of the best varieties. 

 They were one year old trees. I shall cover each tree with a fork- 

 ful of coarse manure. 



MINNESOTA CITY TRIAL STATION. 



O. M. LORD, SUPT. 



Sfrawberri'es.-There were twenty varieties of strawberries for com- 

 parison this year. The Bederwood and Warfield yielded more than 

 any others. Among the newer kinds, the Arrow, Mary and Dayton 

 promise well; Crescent, Parker Earle, Gardner, Timbrel, Princeton 

 Chief, Capt. Jack, Van Deman and others bore no fruit; Lovett, 

 Haverland, Greenville, Jessie and Bubach bore a few berries. The 

 general failure is attributed to unfavorable weather at blossotuing. 

 All varieties bloomed freel}', and the vines made a fine growth, in- 

 dicating a good condition of plants. 



jRaspberries. — Black-cap Varieties. — Gregg, Nemaha, Kansas 

 Courath and Palmer. The Palmer is the earliest, very hardy and 

 a great yielder, but is not so desirable for distant market as the 

 Gregg or Nemaha. The Courath bore no fruit. 



Red Varieties. — The Cuthbert and Turner are still in the lead for a 

 full crop after a trial of many kinds. The Loudon, Miller and 

 Golden Queen are on trial but have not fruited. The Lovidon made 

 a poor growth: the Miller did much better; the Columbian made a 

 heavy growth; also the Shaffer. There is verj' little difference in 

 the fruit, but the bushes are readily distinguished b}' appearance 

 and habits of growth. 



Blackberries. — The Brighton and Sn3'der are the most desirable 

 varieties for this vicinity. The Saunders and Badger have been 

 added to the trial list. 



Gooseberries. — They produced no fruit this year. Varieties on 

 trial, the Pearl, Columbus, Red Jacket and Chatauqua. 



Currants.— They did not fruit this year. Varieties, Red Dutch, 

 Victoria and North Star. 



Grapes. — These yielded a fine crop, but Moore's Early was spoiled 

 at maturity by cracking. lona, Lindley, Agawam, Worden, Empire 

 State, Concord and Delaware matured nicely. 



All of the fruits named have been grown upon a scale sufficient 

 to determine their adaptability to market purposes and also some- 

 thing of their value for the common farm garden. 



Cherries. — Cherries did not bear fruit. The few Russians which 

 are left made a fine growth. The Wragg cherry has been received 

 for trial. 



P/a/i3S.— Native plums are the specialty of this station. Nearly 

 all varieties thrive and bear fruit, but twenty-five or more varieties 

 that have been brought to notice by cultivation have been cast 

 aside as not desirable on this ground, the principal faults being 



